Commas in a Series

Front

What is a comma?

Back

A comma is a punctuation mark used to separate items in a list, clauses, or parts of a sentence.

Front

What is a series in writing?

Back

A series is a list of three or more items, words, or phrases.

Front

How do you use commas in a series?

Back

You use commas to separate items in a series, placing a comma before the 'and' in the last item.

Front

Example of a series with commas:

Back

I like apples, bananas, and oranges.

Front

What is the purpose of using commas in a sentence?

Back

Commas help clarify meaning and separate ideas to make sentences easier to read.

Front

Correct or incorrect: I have a dog, a cat and a fish.

Back

Incorrect. It should be: I have a dog, a cat, and a fish.

Front

Correct or incorrect: We need bread, milk, eggs, and cheese.

Back

Correct.

Front

What is the Oxford comma?

Back

The Oxford comma is the final comma in a list of items, placed before 'and' or 'or'.

Front

Correct or incorrect: My favorite colors are red, blue and green.

Back

Incorrect. It should be: My favorite colors are red, blue, and green.

Front

What do you do if there are only two items in a list?

Back

You do not need a comma. Example: I like tea and coffee.